Guwahati:Â A statue of Don Bosco, which was to be unveiled on Friday at the Bharalumukh river front of the Brahmaputra in Guwahati, was found defaced early Friday morning.
Police soon came to the spot and took possession of the vandalized statue. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi strongly condemned the incident and said in a statement, “We understand the local sentiments, but at the same time we must acknowledge the contribution made by Don Bosco in the field of education and the society at large.”
The statue was shifted to the Bharalumukh river front which has statues of the state’s freedom fighters and martyrs after some local organisations and people had protested against its installation near the Dighalipukhuri tank questioning Don Bosco’s relevance to the state.
Guwahati Salesian Province Father VM Thomas and Vice Chancellor of Assam Don Bosco University, the first Don Bosco University in the English speaking world, had met Gogoi recently for installation of his life-size statue at the Nabin Chandra Bordoloi Library junction in Dighalipukhuri area as part of the concluding ceremony of the birth centenary of Don Bosco on August 16.
The statue was to be installed in recognition of the work done for promotion of education by Don Bosco Salesian fathers, brothers and sisters, alumni and co-operators for over 90 years in the North-East since 1922, Don Bosco Information Service officials said.